Pneumatic draw-down means for a hosiery machine



Nov. 28, 1961 F. L. WHITFIELD 3,010,301

PNEUMATIC DRAW-DOWN MEANS FOR A HOSIERY MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1960 i I -9 .2 a 12 i 7' !il7 I L '1 17 P 28- I6 j 1.. 1- I' i zs 25 75 28 2/ l5 fi i-O ri 27 lNl/ENwR FREDERICK LESLIE WHITFIELD A TTORNE Y .Unite S a e Pat 3,010,301 PNEUMATIC DRAW-DOWN MEANS FOR HOSIERY MACHINE Frederick L. Whitfield, 9 Middlesex Road, Leicester, England 7 Filed Feb. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 9,848

13 Claims. (Cl. 66-149) This invention relates to pneumatic draw-down means for seamless'hose knitting machines. I

As known to those acquainted with the art concerned, means of this character are nowadays often provided on a circular seamless hose knitting machine for the purpose of drawing or taking down from the needle cylinder, by tension-exerting air suction, individually produced stockings, the drawn down articles, as they are successively released fiom the: needles as a consequence of press offs, being directed into a container from which they are ultimately drawn for processing."

But heretofore an air suction unit for this purpose" has usually included atleast one hinged flap operable 'to eifect the release of stockings from a drawn-down tube for ejection into a container placed to receive them. Such flaps, however, in addition to complicating an air suction unit, also tend to stick or otherwise fail to operate, thereby preventing satisfactoryfunctioning of the unit. Another disadvantage of; an air suction unit as heretofore constructed and operableis that the draw-down tube, through which the successivelyproduced stockings are drawn as and when pressed oif, is'subject only to suction so that in the result the inevitable dirt and foreign matter drawn into the tube builds up and fouls the tube.

' Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide, in or for a seamless hose knitting machine, a generally improved air. suction unit of a simple construction characterised by the absence of flaps, and one in which the draw-down tube is automatically maintained in a clean condition.

Theimproved air suction unit constituting this invention' comprises .a movably mounted draw-down tube through which air can be passed, axially, the said tube being displaceable from one position in which its upper end. is ir communicationiwith. a tube leadingto the i iterior of the needle cylinder-and its lower endis registered with a suction tube,-;to another position in which its upper end is oifset'laterally with respectto' the aforesaid tube-leading'to the needle cylinder and its lower end is registered-with ablow or exhaust tube.

'Ihe idea is that whengthe movable, draw-down tube is in the 'first mentioned position,'=in communication with the suction tube, itis adapted toreceive from the needles the next-pressed-o'fi hose sucked down' into it, whereas as a consequence of the said tube being thereupon moved intoithe' second mentioned'positiom'in communication with the blow-or'exhaust tribe, notonly the pressed-otf ho'se'ejectedj upwardly from the. tube into a container suitably placed to receive it, but anyssmall amount of dirt or foreign'matter which may happen to have been previously suckedinto the tubewill be blown out ofthe latter.

. Thus, as be appreciated, each time the lower end of the movable drawn-down tube is transferred from a positionregistering with the suction tube to a'position registering with the blow or exhaust tube, orvice versa,

ice

the direction of axial flow of air through the tube is reyersed. In this way, by appropriately timing the movements of the draw-down tube and the consequent reversals offlow of air therethrough with the production cycle of the seamless hose knitting machine, the alternate downward sucking and upward blowing or exhausting of air through the tube not only drawn down suc cessively knitted and pressed-01f stockings into the tube and blows them out again, without any necessity for a hinged flap or flaps, but also maintains the tube in a clean condition by preventing any dirt or foreign matter from accumulating therein.

In pneumatic units as heretofore constructed, the drawdown tube has only had air drawn into it by suction; that is to say, the direction of the air has never been reversed.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a specific constructional example of the improved air suction unit will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a side viewof the said unit as seen in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE 2, and

, FIGURE 2 is arear view of the unit.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the drawdown tube 1 is cylindrical. This tube is pivotally mounted at a location between its ends so that it is thereby adapted to be swung back and forth about a transverse pivotal axis a between the two positions indicated in respectively full and chain lines in FIGURE 1, the pivotal movements taking place in suitable timed relation with the operating cycle of the knitting machine (not shown);

Conveniently, and as shown, the pivoted. draw-down tube 1 is embraced, between its ends, by a collar 2 mounted to turn about the diametrally extending axis a between two vertically disposed and suitably spaced carrier bars 3 and 4 (or like members) depending from a support component 5 which is adapted, in the manner hereinafter to be described, for connecting to the knitting machine. This support component 5 has fitted therein a tube 6 constituting a fixed upward extension of the pivoted draw-down tube -1 whenever this is in the full line position of FIGURE 1. The tube 6 is intended to extend up through the needle cylinder of the machine to which the air suction unit is fitted. a

The draw-down tube 1 may advantageously be made of any suitable glass-like plastic, such as an acrylic ester, e.g. Perspex (registered trademark) or polystyrene. If the said tube is made principally of an opaque material,

. then it may be furnished with a transparent viewing window.

The aforementioned collar 2 embracing the cylindrical draw-down tube l has small holes formed therein at diametrically opposite points to receive aligned pintles or trunnions 7 set in the carrier bars 3 and 4 which, in the example illustrated, are spaced apart a distance equal to the external diameter of the collar 2. Extending radially from one side of this collar is a small lug-like bracket 8 to which is attached one end 9a of a Bowden cable 9 the opposite endof which is adapted to be secured to a lever or other movable member (not shown) arranged to be actuated by or :froma cam on the control drum of the seamless hose knitting machine. The arrangement is such pressed off the machine, the Bowden cable 9 is first automatically pulled to swing the pivoted draw-down tube from the vertical full-line status of FIGURE 1 into the inclined chain-line status of the same figure and is then released to permit of restoration of the tube into its vertical status. Small brackets and 11 attached, eg by screws such as 12, to the vertical carrier bar 4 are fitted with'adjustable abutment screws 13 and 14 arranged to be cont-acted by the respectively opposite sides of the luglike bracket 8 on the collar 2 as the tube 1 is swung to and fro. Thus, each time the draw-down tube 1 is swung trom its vertical status into its inclined status, the top side of the lugrlike bracket 8 contacts the leading end of the abutment screw 14. Accordingly, adjustment of the screw 14 determines the inclined position of the tube 1. Similarly, whenever the latter is returned to its vertical status, the underside. of the lug-like bracket 8 comes into contact with the leading end of the abutment screw 13.

v For ensuring return of the draw-down tube to its vertical status each time it is released from its inclined status, there is provided a tension spring '8 the upper end of which isanchored to the lug-like bracket 8 whilst the lower end thereof is engaged with the shank of a screw 15 screwed into the side of a combined air suction and air blowing or exhausting component 16 hereinafter to be described,

The initially wholly open lower end portion of the draw-down tube 1 has secured thereon a cover 17 having a centrally apertured and outwardly curved bottom 17a, Within this cover is fitted a filter 18 which functions to hold back a pressedolf hose suckedinto the pivoted tube.

The upper ends of the vertical carrier bars 3 and 4 are secured, by screws 12, within vertical grooves 5n formed idly secured by screws 22 upon the flat top of the support component 5 'i s a deeply recessed circular connector member 23 whereby the air suction unit is adapted to be connectedto the knitting machine through the medium of the quality s -et e ne dle y inder r in n lowering tube on the machine. The upper edge 11; of the pivoted draw-down tube 1 is obliquely disposed to seat against a correspondingly inclined face, 511 formed on the underside of the support component 5. The lower edge of the fixed tube 6 al'so zs iiriilarly incliried. Ac: cording ly, whenever the pivoted draw-down tube '1 is permitted to swing into its vertical position in which its upper end seats against the underside of the: support' component'5, the fixed tube 6. constitutes, in effect, an upper extension of the pivoted tube 1. 7

The air suction and air blowing or exhausting component 16 consists, in the specific example illustrated, of a one-piece casting in which are provided two, bores c'on stituting respectively a mainly straight horizontal suction tube 25 having an upwardly curved inlet end-25a and a practically wholly upwardly curved blow or exhaust tube 4. In this connection screws 27, extending through Very from the *piv oted draw-down tube;

to the inlet end of the suction tube, and is inclined from the vertical so as to be co-axial with the draw-down tube 1 whenever this is swung into its inclined hose-ejecting position indicated in chain lines in FIGURE 1.

At 29 in FIGURE 1 is depicted a container which is combined with the herein described air suction unit and is suitably placed to receive pressed-off hose ejected upwardly into it from the tube 1. With the unit in use, each time the draw-down tube 1 isiin its vertical full-line position (FIGURE 1), in communication with the suction tube 25, it receives 'from the needles of the knitting machine the next pressed-ofihose sucked down into it. But each time the tube 1 is swung into its ejection position, indicated inchain lines, it is then placed in communication with the blow or exhaust tube 26 so that, upon reversal of the flow of air, a pressed-oil hose already in the bottom of the tube 1 wilibe automatically ejected upwardly from this tube into the container 29.

The bottom of the container 29 is closed with the exception of the formation therein of an ofiset hole which registers with the upper .end of the draw-down tube 1 when, the latter is in its inclined ejection position. Thus, a hose blown up into the container through the hole in the, bottom thereof simply falls back on to this bottom n i ret i e in the.container.v

Iclaim: V i

1. For application to a, seamless hose. knitting machine furnished with a needle cy nder and a tube forraising and lowering the same, a pneumaticdraw-d wn for drawing-do n Cy n er, individually produced stocki s said. unit mpd inain combination, asupport. comp e ti me ns. ad pt d a c nnec said. component to. the a o a n d y nder r is ng and lowering tu a fix d ube ch is se n t e suppe tcqmnqnem. and ext n s up r y e nmmun c tiq i ith, t e. inter r of t ne y dsn, mbe s depmdingtromithe said tilPPQrt PP I an r-sucti n t bs a air b ew me be a ached to d. depen ng memb rs, an upright P m i dra n tube ,pivo al y mount d b ween t es membe s nd ous r h ir can p ssed axia ly, and e s f r sw g ng sai d aw-down, tub fr m one position in which its upper end is in oomrg unicatiQn h; t fixed u e an its 19 and is. gis snw th a r ct n t be, o an her posi o in wh ch its uppe nd. is o et lateral y: wi respec o he fixed t be nd i 9%: end is in reg ste with h r bl wi g ube, and ce et r w e by ea h. st kin n r fir t uc ddown into the draw-down tube 'is ejected upwardly from the latter. a

'A Pneumati d-raw-dqwn unit'according to 1, h c ludes a con ain s cu t the supp rt com- Ponent a P to ecei e St ck ng ie ted up ard y 3. For: application to aseamless hosefknitting machine furnished with a needle cylinder and a tube for raisi'ngand ioweringthe same, a pneumatic drawdown unit for draw? t ng-down from the cylinder individually produced stockings, said unitcomprising in combination, a support comtical slots 28: in the said carrier bars, are screwed into, I

un-boredrportions of the component'16. 5 i I a The su'ctionand blow or exhaust tubes areadapt idto be connected respectively to the intake and output sides of a vacuum motor (not shown). The inlet end'25a of ponent, means adapted toconnect said*compoiient to the V aforesaid needlecylinder raising'and lowering tube, a fixed tube WhiQhise in thesupp r component-and extends upwardly, for; Communication with the interior of the needle cylinder, a, pair of spaced carrier bars which are at ac d t h upper ndstoi and depend fr m the said supp r compc en :an su nlqnmhe anda relatively on et a r wing tube atta n dtQ-the lower Qndsuo iithe sa d. c rr r b s, a pn um ti d aus qwn; ube th ough wh h ai c n be P S d X l y, a m l n hi h nib ases the draw-down tube between itsends diametrieally opposed trunnion'pins associated with the, collar the carrier bars and'by means 'of which the said collar and hence also the draw-down tube pivotally mounted to turn about an axis transverse to that of the las-tmentioned tube, means 'for swinging the collar from a horizontal position'in which the draw -dowu tube is vertical with its upper end incommunication with the fixed tube and its 7 lower end in'registcr with theair suction tube, to another position in which the draw-down tube is inclined with its upper end offset laterally with respect to the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the airblowing tube, and vice versa; l s v 4. A pneumatic draw-down unit according to claim 3, wherein the collar has small holes formed therein at diametrically opposite poin'ts'to receive trunnions set in the two carrier bars, and the latter are spaced apart a distance equal to the external diameter of the said collar.

5. A pneumatic draw-down unit according to claim 3, wherein the draw-down tube is made of a transparent glass-like plastic.

6. A pneumatic draw-down unit according to claim 3, wherein there is secured to the collar an outwardly extending bracket to which is attached one end of a Bowdcn cable for swinging the draw-down tube to and fro between the two defined positions.

7. For application to a seamless hose knitting machine furnished with a needle cylinder and a tube for raising and lowering the same, a pneumatic draw-down unit for drawing-down from the cylinder individually produced stockings, said unit comprising, in combination, a support component, means adapted to connect said component to the aforesaid needle cylinder raising and lowering tube, a fixed tube which is set in the support component and extends upwardly for communication with the interior of the needle cylinder, a pair of spaced carrier bars which are attached at their upper ends to, and depend from, the said support component, an air suction tube, and a relatively offset air blowing tube attached to the lower ends of the said carrier bars, a pneumatic draw-down tube through which air can-be passed axially, a collar which embraces the draw-down tube between its ends, diametrically opposed trunnion pins associated with the collar and the carrier bars and by means of which the said collar and hence also the draw-down tube is pivotally mounted to turn about an axis transverse to that of the last mentioned tube, a bracket which is secured to and extends outwardly from the collar, a Bowdcn cable which is attached to said bracket and is operable to swing the collar from a horizontal position in which the draw-down tube is vertical with its upper end in communication with the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the air suction tube, to another position in which the draw-down tube is inclined with its upper end offset laterally with respect to the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the air blowing tube, and vice versa, further brackets attached to one of the two carrier bars, and adjustable abutment screws which are set in the last mentioned brackets and are arranged to be contacted by the respectively opposite sides of the bracket on the collar as the draw-down tube is swung to and fro between the two defined positions.

8. A pneumatic draw-down unit according to claim 7, wherein a spring is provided to ensure the return of the draw-down tube to its vertical position each time it is released from its inclined position.

9. A pneumatic drawn-down unit according to claim 7, which includes a tensionspring one end of which is anchored to the bracket on the collar whilst the other end is anchored to a fixed component containing the air suction and the air blowing tubes.

10. A pneumatic drawn-down unit according to claim 7, wherein the initially open lower end of the draw-down tube has secured thereon a cover having an apertured bottom, and within this cover is fitted a filter which functions to hold back a stocking sucked down into the said tube.

11. For application to a seamless hose knitting machine furnished with a needle cylinder and a tube for raising and lowering the latter, a pneumatic draw-down unit for sucking down from the cylinder and ejecting individually produced stockings, said unit comprising, in combination, a support component having an inclined face on its underside and a central vertical bore therein, an

annular connector secured upon the top'of the'said support component and adapted to be secured upon the lower end of the aforementioned needle cylinder raising and lowering tube, a fixed tube which is set in the vertical bore of the support component and extends upwardly from. the latter for communication with the interior of the "needle cylinder, a vertically disposed pair of spaced flat section carrier bars the upper ends of which are attached and adjustable heightwise relatively to said support component, an air flow component which is secured in an adjustable manner between the lower ends of the two carrier bars, said last mentioned component having formed therein bores constituting an air suction tube with a vertically disposed inlet end and an air blowing tube the outlet end of which is offset with respect to the inlet end of the said suction tube and is inclined from the vertical, an upright pneumatic draw-down tube through which air can. be passed axially, a cover which secured to the initially open lower end of said draw-down tube and has a centrally apertured bottom, an air filter fitted the said cover, a collar which embraces the draw-down tube between its ends, diametrally opposed trunnion pins associated with the collar and the carrier bars and by means of which the said collar is pivotally mounted to turn about an axis transverse to that of the draw-down tube, and means for swinging the collar from a horizontal position in which the draw-down tube is vertical with its upper end in communication with the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the air suction tube, to another position in which the draw-down tube is inclined with its upper end offset laterally with respect to the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the air blowing tube, and vice versa.

12. A pneumatic draw-down unit according to claim 11, wherein there is secured to the collar an upwardly extending bracket to which is attached one end of a Bowdcn cable for swinging the draw-down tube to and fro between the .two defined positions.

13. For application to a seamless hose knitting machine furnished with a needle cylinder and a tube for raising and lowering the latter, a pneumatic draw-down unit for sucking down from the cylinder and ejecting individually produced stockings, said unit comprising, in combination, a support component having an inclined face on its underside and a central vertical bore therein, an annular connector secured upon the top of the said support component and adapted to be secured upon the lower end of the aforementioned needle cylinder raising and lowering tube, a fixed tube which is set in the vertical bore of the support component and extends upwardly from the latter for communicationwith the interior of the needle cylinder, a vertically disposed pair of spaced fiat section carrier bars the upper ends of which are attached and adjustable heightwise relatively to said support component, an air flow component which is secured in an adjustable manner between the lower ends of the two carrier bats, said last mentioned component having formed therein bores constituting an air suction tube with a vertically disposed inlet end and an air blowing tube the outlet end of which is offset with respect to the inlet end of the said suction tube and is inclined from the vertical, an upright pneumatic draw-down tube through which air can be passed axially, a cover which is secured to the initially open lower end of said draw-down tube and has a centrally apertured bottom, an air filter fitted within the said cover, a collar which embraces the draw-down tube between its ends, diametrally opposed trunnion pins associated with the collar and the carrier bars and by means of which the said collar is pivotally mounted to turn about an axis transverse to that of the draw-down tube, a bracket which is secured to and extends outwardly from the collar, a Bowdcn cable which is attached to said bracket and is operable to swing the collar from a hori- 8 V V zontal' position in which the draw-down vtube is vertical with itsjupper end in communication with the fixed tube and its lower end in register with the air suction tube, to another position in Whichfthe draW-downtub'e is inclined with its upper end ofiset laterally with respect to (the fixed 5 -tube' and its'lower end in register wimh the air blowing tube, and vice versa, further-brackets attached .to one of the two earlier bars, and adjustable abutment Screws which, HG 'B N f are set in the last mentioned brackets and are arranged 7 801,449 Great'fit'iiain ;-Se 15t.- to be contacted by the respectively opposite sides of 'the 10 1','18 3,Q4 1" ,Fnanoe:: Jan.

VUVNITED STATES PA TE NTS r 3 3396 F V brfiekq on qie 'eol lrfas the d'rav vdown is for betw jean-{the two defined" positions; Y i Refei'ene es Ciied in the file t hi spnient J 

